Posted on 11/06/2004 7:20:51 AM PST by Newshues
Instead of trying to find a conspiracy theory for why the exit polls where so wrong I think it would behoove us all to look at a simpler and, in my opinion, a more likely answer. People just didn't want to admit that they voted for Bush.
After listening to Bush bashing for four years and in the interest of maintaining peace within their own circle of friends some, not all, simply would not admit to having voted for Bush. My mother, who believes that peaceful relations is better than sure hostilities, would not admit to anyone but me that she voted for Bush. And she wasn't the only one in my circle that was reluctant to admit their vote for Bush.
No one likes to be thought of as stupid. When the talk of Bush around the water cooler includes a hard Kerry supporter there is always a spoken or unspoken charge that anyone who would vote for Bush has to be stupid. Why would anyone want to admit to being stupid?
The left claims that it is the right that bullies, that it is the right that is intolerant, that it is the right that is unenlightened. But by their behavior, the left has shown itself to be all those, to the point that people are afraid, or find it simply not in their interest, to express their own opinion. One need only look at the responses of the party faithful to losing the election for proof.
The exit polls were wrong because the left made it unthinkable for some to express their opinions openly. That should be a cause of concern for all of us.
lol, i expected the same thing... a lot of people won't admit they voted for Bush because they really did want to vote for Kerry, but they couldn't. Too many questions, not enough answers.
Also, it was reported that some of the exit polls where heavily weighted (60%) towards inner city women, who are overwhelmingly liberal Democrat. If that's true then it's no accident. Pollsters can get whatever answer they're looking for in this way.
... you make it sound that Bush voters don't have any guts ... the polls were faked by those who released them to depress the conservative vote
The company that was hired to run the exit polls for the media has already admitted it skewed the exit info in order to give Kerry an early edge. It backfired.
I see your point, but the exit polls had Mississippi tied, and I am guessing Bush fans would be pretty regular there. I can see lying about your vote in states like New York, Cali or Pennsylvania, etc. but this was everywhere. I really think it was an attempt to supress the Bush vote.
I think he is trying to say that Michael Moore and Soros and WHoopie actually voted for Bush but are embarrassed to admit it.
The article is the dumbest emplanation I have ever heard. Add it to the conspiracy theories and you will have a nice book of fiction.
Sorry Charlie, we might hide it if we voted for a gigolo and a liar, but not if we voted for an honest and determined president. Which the majority of us did, and proudly.
Tinfoil hat time.
Who needs someone vandalizing your car or your home because you don't support their Poodle? It's a secret ballot for a reason.
In other words the pollsters knowingly ignored past voting patterns in construction of their samples - and do so in a way that would favor kerry numbers.
The effort was deliberate and needs to be fully investigated
There might be some truth in your theory, except that most Bush voters are proud to have done so. I don't think they'd lie about it.
I agree with you that we were proud to say we voted for our President. The exit polls were corrupt to sway the election..until there is more proof I will not believe otherwise.
I would have told any pollster to get bent, so I wonder if their numbers reflected fed-up heterosexual, evangelical, gun-owning, middle-class, caucasian males of like mind.
Must be East Coast or West Coast polling thing. Where I live you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who admitted they voted for the toilet ticket. Almost every car with a bumper sticker had a Bush/Cheney 04 or a W04 sticker on it. The same for yard signs. So that dog don't hunt--just like John Kerry.
Get better friends.
You put it well. Bush may not be perfect, but he's still a president to be proud of, especially in light of his predecessor.
Someone suggested to me before the election that the reason Arnold won so surprisingly easy in California was this very reason. The people polled one way but voted another.
As far as the stupid thing, this doesn't stop with Bush. You are right, it is transferred all the way down to the voter. Religion is "stupid" with these people. Opposition to Gay Marriage is "bigotry". The DEMS have pretty much framed themselves as the "intelligent" party where anyone who truly understands the issues has to agree with them. There is no other logical conclusion to the issues. Therefore, anyone who disagrees with them is illogical, or "stupid", and labeled as ignorant.
Our candidates have been labeled "stupid" for a long time now. Remember Ford? Good ole bumbling, stumbling, Poland Ford? Then came Reagan who got elected with advanced Alzheimer's? GHWB got a pass on intelligence but was labeled "the wimp". Remember the "wimp factor"? Dole, well he was losing so bad they didn't even take the time to label him. Then of course comes GWB, the "chimp".
In all honesty, we have to do something about these perceptions. We can't have people secretly polling for us. This is not a winning strategy long term. We are losing ground because of this in our learning institutions. However, in the mean time, I agree with your assessment and will just enjoy the win!
Where did they admit this?
But when the subject of the election comes up at work, I change the subject or walk away. I just don't feel like arguing with people who voted for Kerry - they are obnoxious in their conviction of superior intelligence. Why waste my time? We won, they lost, case closed.
This is one of the great misconceptions of American politics, born of arrogance, elitism, and undeserved feelings of superiority. They think Bush is stupid, and by extension we are too. He's not. It's easy to see that he is, in fact, more intelligent than Kerry by any standard you care to name. They can't admit it but I don't care about that. Results are what matters and are the final determinants in who's the better man.
One of the best tactical advantages that anyone can have is to be misunderestimated. Bush has that in spades.
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